- 7
- Apr
- 09
I have recently taken the plunge and decided to learn to drive because it was one of my New Year’s resolutions. Until now, I have always considered cars to be too scary to drive – riding along in control of over a ton of battering ram just didn’t appeal to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved them if I’m in them as a passenger but the thought of coordinating my hands, feet and eyes, while being on the lookout for hazards, was too much.
However, I decided that it was time for me to get on the roads and a number of questions have arisen about learning to drive and car insurance requirements.
Can I buy my own car and insure it in my name if I only have a provisional driving licence?
Yes you can indeed buy a car insurance policy for a car registered in your name, even if you only have a provisional driving licence. However, you will not be allowed to drive the car without the supervision of a suitable individual (see question 5).
Will the person supervising me, when I am learning to drive in my own car, need to be named on my insurance policy for my car?
The answer to this question depends on a couple of factors – the age of the supervising driver and their own motor insurance policy.
The first thing to take into account is if the driver is less than 25 years of age or not.
If the driver is not 25 yet, then it is very likely that they will need to be named as a driver on your own car insurance policy. This is because the insurance policy held by the younger supervising driver, for their own car, will unlikely cover them when they drive other people’s cars – few insurers provide this to people aged less than 25 years of age and not all provide it to over 25s.
One thing to consider here, if you are over 25, is that adding someone aged less than 25 to your policy will likely push the cost of your policy up by a substantial amount (it pushed mine up by a ¼). The solution to this problem is to get added as a named driver on their insurance and learn to drive in their car.
The next thing to consider is what type of cover the supervising driver has.
If the supervising driver has a policy which allows them to drive other people’s cars with their express permission then there’s no need to add them as a named driver on your car’s insurance.
However, if the driver’s policy doesn’t include this cover, then they either need to get it added to their own motor insurance policy or be added as a named driver on your policy.
Why is it generally cheaper to get insurance with a provisional licence than with a full UK licence?
Generally speaking, you will oddly be classed as less of a risk when you are learning to drive than when you have just passed your test. This is because a learner driver must be supervised at all times when driving, and is likely to drive a lot less than someone who has just passed their test.
What do I need to be able to learn to drive in my own car?
You will need:
- A valid provisional UK driving licence
- Offical L plates, which must be displayed on the front and rear of your vehicle whenever you are driving
- Insurance to cover you in your own car
- A supervising driver who is over 21 and has had a valid full UK driving licence for three years AND is insured to drive your car (either as a named driver on your policy or through their own car’s insurance policy)
What do I need to have to learn to drive in someone else’s car?
You will need:
- A valid provisional UK driving licence
- Official L plates, which must be displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle whenever you are driving
- Insurance cover for the vehicle you plan to drive, as a named driver
- Permission to drive the car
- A supervising driver who is over 21 and has had a valid full UK driving licence for three years
What’s the quickest way to apply for my provisional licence?
I applied for my driving licence online on the Direct Gov website. I received my provisional licence about 5 days later. When I started my application I was under the impression that I would have to send off a photo before my application would be processed, but I simply entered in my passport number and, because the photo represented a true likeness, they used this picture for my licence.
